UN HUMANITARIAN OFFICE SAYS ZERO FUNDING RECEIVED FOR FOOD CRISiS IN NIGER

NEW YORK, 2 June (OCHA) -- Two weeks ago, as Niger’s lean season neared and indications emerged that the country faced a looming “silent crisis”, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) launched a four-month flash appeal for $16.2 million.  The appeal will help the 3.6 million individuals -- including 800,000 children under the age of five -- affected by the nation’s food crisis.  Some 150,000 children are suffering from malnutrition.

To date, not a single dollar has been pledged to the flash appeal.

The food crisis is compounded by the locust infestation of 2004 and drought. In 2004, Niger was severely hit by the worst desert locust invasion in 15 years.

Most families in Niger support themselves through subsistence farming.  These families only grow enough food to support themselves until the next harvest.  Even in the best agricultural years, 40 per cent of children are malnourished.  Livestock breeding is particularly important for families in Niger, serving as a type of financial insurance.  When families experience economically trying times, they simply sell their livestock.

Classified as both a least developed and a low-income, food-deficit country, Niger ranked 176th out of 177 countries in the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) 2004 Human Development Index.  However, in spite of Niger’s status as both a least developed country and a low-income, food-deficit country, the Government has developed a mechanism to prevent and mitigate food crises, to which France, the European Union, and Italy contribute regularly.  However, the food stocks and funds managed by that mechanism in the current year have been fully mobilized to meet approximately half the needs of the crisis, and will soon be depleted.  Furthermore, the country could face an even more critical food crisis should the 2005 agricultural campaign be affected by a new spell of drought and/or locust invasion, such as was seen in 2004.

Among the priorities identified under the humanitarian response plan are the need to recuperate malnourished children under five and pregnant women, increase food availability, support existing health services, ensure livestock survival, increase seed availability and to reduce migration flows.  To that end, OCHA’s Consolidated Appeals Process has requested just over $8 million for the agricultural sector, $6.75 million for the food sector, $1.35 million for the health sector, and just $50,000 for coordination and support services.

At first glance, the ratio of funds committed to meet overall requirements for humanitarian aid under the Consolidated Appeals Process would seem to be well on track for 2005, with $1.9 billion contributed against the $4.6 billion required, or just over 40 per cent.  However, deeper analysis reveals an alarming disparity.

While almost all immediate requirements in response to the December 2004 earthquake/tsunami disaster have been covered by donors, international donor response has met only 25 per cent of the rest of the world’s humanitarian needs.  Moreover, contributions to 13 of the 21 existing Consolidated Appeals Processes amount to less than 25 per cent of their requirements.

For further information, please call:  Stephanie Bunker, OCHANY, tel.:  (917) 367-5126, mobile:  (917) 892-1679; Elizabeth Byrs, OCHA Geneva, tel.:  41 22 917 2653, mobile:  41(0) 79 473 4570.

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